Different Race Strategies at Tuskys Cross Country Event in Eldoret, by Justin Lagat

Another exciting cross country meeting where world champions got to race against new and upcoming athletes took place this weekend at Huruma Grounds in Eldoret town. For years, this event has always been the favorite for many athletes due to its good organization, the large number of athletes that turn up and the prizes that trickle down even up to the top 100 athletes. In fact, athletes would joke that they were going shopping at Tuskys Supermarket whenever they were going to participate in this event. Unfortunately, the prizes were not that much over the weekend and the windy conditions looked even worse on this particular edition. It was a tough race. Definitely, no one will ever joke again about going there to shop in future.

This year’s Berlin marathon winner, Florence Kiplagat commanded the 8km senior women’s race from the start to the tape to win the eight edition of this cross country event. All the first four positions in this category went to renowned marathon runners. Kiplagat won in a time of 26:34.5 as Hella Kiprop followed in 26:38.5, Lucy Kabuu in 26:47.2 and Mercy Kibarus in 27:05.9. These four athletes broke away from the rest and maintained a leading pack for the better part of the race as they exchanged the lead among themselves. Kiplagat broke away from the pack again in the last 2km and the rest started to follow in a single file.

Isaac Korir employed an almost similar strategy to win the men’s senior race too; the only difference being that he and Cleophas Ng’etich who took the second position had to wait till after the second lap of the 2km loop before pulling away from the group and maintaining a distance of about 150 meters ahead. The latter began to falter from the lead with about three kilometers to go, but he had already built a sizeable gap and the rest could not catch up on him as he finished second, 12 seconds behind Korir’s time of 35:50. Clement Kemboi came in third in 36:16 followed closely by Richard Ndegwa in 36:18.

One event that has always been giving starters a hard time during cross country meetings in Kenya of late is the 8km junior men’s race. It wasn’t different here. The athletes started themselves off and it wasn’t easy trying to stop them and getting them back to the starting line. It was only after they had covered over a kilometer did the officials get to contain their surge and get them back. The second start was alright, only to be marred by another frenzied athlete, who was hiding among the spectators, waiting to dash ahead of the rest, some meters ahead of the starting point. It was the case of one mad person not missing at every market place! This mad athlete caused a lot of inconvenience to other athletes as he was slower and had to be pushed around as the others struggled to run safely past him. Not only did the off
icials noted him, but I also caught him on my camera, but before he could even cover  a kilometer, over three hundred athletes had already ran past him and the officials lost interest in him and left him to run. I didn’t see him again after the first lap and I guess just like he had entered the race, he must have also vanished back into the spectators at some point.

A group of five athletes had maintained the lead in the junior men’s race until the last 2km lap when Frankline Ng’e lei had suddenly pulled away from the pack with a sprint and without glancing back again until he crossed the tape in 23:42.6. Dominic Chemut followed in 23:55.3, Peter Limo in 23:57.6 and Abraham Kapsee in 24:01.1.

Four athletes broke away from the rest in the 6km junior women’s race and continued to exchange the lead before Agnes Cheruto finally isolated herself and maintained a significant lead with two kilometers to go. She won the race in20:32.9. The other three managed to stay in the positions they had been at the early stages of the race, Gloria Kite coming second in 20:43.0, Ruth Chebet third in 20:52.9 and Margaret Chelimo fourth in 21:05.4.

After watching this event, I could not help noticing the different styles each winner employed to win his/her respective race. I concluded that what works best for one, may not work well for others. But, all in all, I observed more race strategies to consider in my future races.